La représentation de la plage dans la peinture est parallèle à la vogue des bains de mer et à l’essor des stations balnéaires.
The development of the beach as a popular leisure resort from the mid-19th century was the first manifestation of what is now the global tourist industry. The first seaside resorts were opened in the 18th century for the aristocracy, who began to frequent the seaside as well as the then fashionable spa towns, for recreation and health. One of the earliest such seaside resorts was Scarborough in Yorkshire during the 1720s; it had been a popular spa town since a stream of acidic water was discovered running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town in the 17th century. The first rolling bathing machines were introduced by 1735.
Sources :
Journal du romantisme - Skira
Dictionnaire universel de la peinture – Le Robert
Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
Jean Mineraud – Les dessous du visible
